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X-Men - Take Two

For the X-Men, of course, it wasn't all down time. While Logan and K had been gone, they were still doing their best to run missions often, go after mutants in trouble... and sometimes clash with a few other mutants as well. Apparently, the Magneto person they'd met before had been amassing his own little team, and they were obnoxious - but not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.

It seemed like the X-Men were running into that group more lately, so when Charles let them know there was a mission to help a mutant in trouble, the team decided to go in force just to deter the kind of garbage they'd been hitting lately.

Still, it's not like they were expecting anything more than having to put up with a self-centered pyromaniac or whoever it was that Magneto sent out to deal with them. So they were pretty relaxed as they boarded the jet, chatting easily ... or, in Scott and Jean's case, telepathically.

The biggest topic of conversation was, of course, the fact that this mutant in trouble was on a remote island - and there was already talk of taking some time to just... relax once whatever the trouble was got cleared up. Surprising no one, Kurt and Warren seemed to be the ringleaders of this encouragement, though Scott was trying to keep everyone on task.

"Come on, guys," he said.

"What? Is it so wrong to want to spend a bit of time on the beach if we're speedy and efficient?" Kurt teased. "You could use a tan, Mein freund."

"Imagine the tan line from the visor," Bobby stage whispered. "Big ol' bar right across his face."

"I doubt he'd leave it on to tan," Kurt said. "No reason he couldn't switch to the glasses or go without ..." He paused and smirked. "Of course, it won't do you any good when we put the sunscreen strategically on your back."

"Let's focus on this mission first," Scott said, shaking his head at both of them.

"And then?" Warren prompted, one eyebrow raised.

"We'll see."

"We're sure he's seventeen and not seventy, right?" Bobby asked Warren. "I mean, we've actually checked into this?"

"I am starting to wonder," Warren said.

Scott shook his head at both of them, though whatever comment he might have made turned into a smirk when Jean pointed out, It could be fun to take a beach vacation.

Yeah, alright. But still-

No one here is going to blow off the mission, and you know it, Jean replied. Besides, I will handle sunscreen, I promise.

I'm kind of curious what Kurt has in mind for Bobby, to be honest ...

Jean couldn't help but chuckle. Let's just say he'll be celebrating Christmas in July with that pattern.

Scott's smirk stretched for just a moment into a smile, though he schooled it quickly. That makes it worth it.

Great. Jean positively beamed his way. I think we all deserve some sand and surf.

All the more reason to hurry up and help this person, right?

Jean nodded, falling into a more serious expression as she turned her focus away from a possible beach vacation... and toward reaching out to try to find this mystery mutant. Admittedly, they didn't know much about this person, and Jean was still working on her range, but the closer they got to the coordinates, the deeper Jean found herself frowning.

"I... something's not right," she said, her lips pursed together and her eyes narrowed.

"What have you got?" Scott asked. "You've never had trouble before ... maybe it's their ability ..."